Friday, March 09, 2007

Okay, it's confirmed. America has a few million tone deaf people voting in the American Idol contest.

Do us a favor: Stop text voting. YOU CAN'T HEAR. YOU CAN'T TELL WHO CAN SING AND WHO CAN'T. Put down the cell phones!

I'm being sarcastic.

The truth is that people can hear fine (well, maybe), but are likely voting for crappy singers for whatever other zany reason they emotionally latch onto--they like their hair, their accents, the color of their skin, their ethnicity, their hometowns, or some other non-musical reason. Or they felt sorry for the contestants who got superdowner remarks from the judges (the sympathy or mercy votes).

If America voted for strictly talent (ie, they can sing, they can emote, they can move with some performance confidence), Sanjaya Malakar and Haley Scarnato would be headed home, along with Antonella "Please make her stop singing, I beg you!" Barba. Jared Cotter was one of the "yeah, he could go, he's not the top" guys.

If America wasn't swayed by non-talent factors, Sabrina Sloan would have sat down with the final 12. That girl was good. Good voice, great presence, and a terrific figure that could carry off the stylish wear that pop performers must add to their personas.And she projected confidence and a womanly sexiness (much more than the stiff Antonella.) The girl had the package. (I'm still stunned at her departure.)

Maybe there were just so many soul/R&B singers who were good and divvied up that particular vote niche. My hubby and I had theorized this might be a problem.

Haley and Sanjaya must have locked in the "I hate that soul/R&B/loud-rock" music & Why can't they sing like on Lawrence Welk or that nice Carnival Cruise show we saw last summer" votes.

And Sundance was miles better than Sanjaya in terms of expression, passion, and vocal ability. Even if "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam (a song I very much dig) was not the best for his voice--and it wasn't--he still outsang the vocally timid and uninspired (if quite boyish and likable) Sanjaya every single week so far.

At least Sanjaya has had the decency to look stunned and humbled every week he's stayed on--and shouldn't have. I give him props for that.

If there is any sense out there, Haley and Sanjaya will say bye-bye next week. And if there is any real cosmic justice, Haley will have to inexplicably drop out tomorrow morning (acute pangs of conscience?), and they'll bring Sabrina back.

Sabrina, girl, you got robbed. I hope you get to pull a Jennifer Hudson in a couple years (ie, get noticed, get a gig, get an award). And Sundance, I hope some established group gives you a call and says, "Hey, come front our blues band."

1 comment:

I haven't watched AI for a while but I do like that Antonella girl, she just has something about her. That's the same way I felt about Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson and they turned out pretty well. I don't know if my other favorite is on there, the shy back-up singer lady (I forget her name) but she could REALLY sing! I'll have to tune in and see who's left.

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I'm a middle-aged, Cuban-American, Christian married gal living in a hot, crowded town prone to being smacked around by tropical storms and hurricanes. I've pretty much stopped writing, but I suspect that I will need to start again, as the itch always returns....